“No Waiting” RUMC 12/18/2011

“No Waiting”

RUMC 12/18/2011

Have you stood in many lines recently?  Every Santa has a line of children waiting to climb on his lap.  It seems like every parking lot has lines of people driving around looking for the best parking spot, lines of people at the customer service desk, lines of people looking for the best deals, and lines of people waiting at the checkout stand. 

Therefore, I came over to the church early today expecting to see a line of people waiting outside to get in to see Jesus.  There wasn’t one.  I thought our carport would look like the sidewalk in front of Best Buy on Black Friday.  It didn’t.  Why do you suppose that is?  We have to ask ourselves, if Jesus is the reason for the season as we are quick to point out, why don’t  people line up to see him like they line up for those super duper early shopping sales?

I suspect there are many reasons for that, but I wonder…  I wonder if one reason might be that, even in the church, the reason for the season sometimes gets lost in

·         Christmas programs, and

·         adopt a family, and

·         caroling, and

·         mitten trees, and

·         love packages, and

·         Christmas luncheons, and

·         candles, and

·         trees, and

·         nativity scenes and all kinds of “stuff.” 

Instead of being the reason for the season, it would sometimes appear as if Jesus is the excuse for the season.

Now I am not saying that any of that is wrong.  In fact, they are all wonderful.  What I am saying, however, is that perhaps we have let the Christmas story become too routine.  After all, we have heard the Christmas story a hundred times.  After a while, our attention wonders or we tend to nod off.  We start to think we have heard it all before.  HO HUM!

The Christmas story, however, is not HO HUM.  Is it not routine or ordinary!  The Christmas story of the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ is one of the greatest and most unique stories in of history. 

I think if we in the church were more amazed at the story, the world would be more amazed.  If we in the church reconnect with that great story, it might touch us in a different way this year.  If it touches us in a different way, we may be able to touch other lives in new and different ways.  I think we all need to step back for just a moment.  Step back from the shopping.  Step back from the preparations.  Step back from the decorations and plans and see the great Christmas truth anew.  Let that ancient story seep into every pore of your being.  Join the shepherds in awe and celebration at the mystery of the incarnation of God.  We need to see the Christmas story through a different pair of glasses.  Today therefore, we are going to look at the passage from Luke that Eloise read for us through the lenses of the first Chapter of John.

This part Luke’s story starts with the shepherds.  They were minding their own business watching their sheep perhaps telling stories around the campfire and trying to get a little shuteye. 

When suddenly, “An angel of the Lord appeared to them.  The glory of the Lord shone around them and they were afraid.”  Now I don’t suppose angels are scary things in themselves.  This angel, however, sure took them by surprise because he also brought a blinding light, an indescribable glory, an unearthly illumination that appeared all around him.  The story says they were afraid.  Who wouldn’t be?  Most of us would be thinking UFO’s and alien kidnapping.

Additionally, when an angel appears you know that something important is going to happen.  When an angel appears in a story, God is about to speak.  The angel is like God clearing his throat and getting everyone’s attention.

John says, “In the Beginning was the Word.  And the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  

The word John uses here is LOGOS.  LOGOS is bigger than our understanding of “word.”  The LOGOS is not a noun or the adjective.  LOGOS means reason

In the beginning was the reason and the reason was with God and the reason was God.  You see Jesus is not just the reason for the season.  Jesus is the reason for creation.  Jesus is the reason for being.  Jesus is the reason for all of life itself.

I also like to think of LOGOS as the message.  In the beginning was the message, and the message was with God, and the message was God.”  Now to the angel is bringing that same message to the shepherds

Of course, they are afraid.

Back in Luke the angel of the Lord said “Fear not for I bring you good news of a great joy.  For to you is born this day in the City a David a savior.”  A Savior?  Yes, it is that LOGOS that word that reason that message that is born in Bethlehem.

It is the very word of God.  The word that God has been trying to convey since the beginning of time.  The word that says

·         I will be your God and you will be my people.

·         Walk by faith and I will lead you.

·         Take your shoes off for you are standing on holy ground.

·         That word says love the lord your God

·         That word  says to  “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God”

·         That word says “I will save my people”

The time has come.  The angel says to the shepherds, that God’s word . . . God’s message of good news and great joy is coming to you and to all people.

John says it this way, And the Word became flesh and lived among us and we have seen his glory the glory as of a father’s only son full of grace and truth. 

Most of you have probably never heard the word exegesis.  Exegesis is a Greek word we use for Bible study, which means to draw out the meaning.  Originally, the Greeks used it in theatre to describe the way an actor skillfully interprets a role and makes it a living character for the audience.

Now I don’t understand God’s reasons for a lot of things.  I need someone to draw the meaning out of what God has done.  I need someone to exegete God’s actions so I can understand God's ways.  Jesus is God’s exegesis, God’s message in the flesh,  bringing God’s meaning and reason to life for us.  Jesus is like an actor, taking the word of God from the pages of the Old Testament, and making it come alive in our lives.  He is God’s interpreter in human form to show God’s message for the world; to teach God’s message for the word; to offer God’s salvation to all the world.

Again, we go back to Luke:  And this shall be a sign for you.  You will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’  A What?  The shepherds had to be thinking you have to be kidding.  We could believe a savior, a messiah, but baby?  And a baby lying in a feeling trough to boot?  … That is a little much.  OK, maybe the shepherds weren’t thinking that, but that’s what I would have thought, “you’ve got to be kidding. “

Look at it in John’s words “He was in the world and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.  He came to what was his own and his own people did not accept him.”  It had to be hard.  This was almost unbelievable.  The miracle is that some did believe.  Some did understand.  Some did get the message.  Some did see the meaning.

Thank God that you are among those with eyes to see and ears to hear.

Finally, Luke says, “they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger.  When they saw this they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them…The shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen as it had been told them.”  Wouldn’t it have been wonderful to be there?

I have been to the Grotto of the Nativity, the traditional place of Jesus’ birth.  It is certainly not very impressive, not very big, not very special by earthly standards.  Nevertheless, what a place!  I will never forget the coolness of the rocks, the flickering of the candles, and the gold star that marks the place of his birth.  Of all the events in human history, I suspect more of us would want to be at the birth of Christ than any other time.  It is about so much more than the baby in the manger.

The shepherds knew it.  They understood that this was no normal baby.  Maybe not completely, but to the best of their ability they believed.  Because they believed, they were saved.

John says, “To those who believed in his name he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent nor of human decision or a husband’s will but born of God.”  

This is not just a warm fuzzy story of a mother and baby, a father and a crotchety old innkeeper.  This is the story of salvation to those who believe.  Not those who were present, but to those who believe he gave the right to become children of God.  That’s the crux of the whole Christmas story.  Not trees gifts dinners and programs.  Through these amazing events, we can become children of God.  Having faith in these events, and the savior born that night, gives us new status before God.  No longer are we merely creatures.  No longer are we merely rebels.  We are not mere sinners.  By Jesus Christ, his birth, life, death, and resurrection.  We stand before God as CHILDREN.  We are beloved children of the heavenly father with our savior Jesus Christ at our side.

There are many lines around Christmas time.  The line you pick will largely determine the kind of Christmas you will have and the kind of person you become. 

·         You may be waiting in the gift buying and receiving line.  That is the kind of Christmas you will have.

·         You may be waiting in the family time together line.  That is the kind of Christmas you will have.

·         You may be waiting in the “I wish Christmas weren’t on Sunday because I could sure use a long weekend line.”  That is as deep as your Christmas may get.

·         You may be waiting in the let’s get it done and over with so we can get back to normal line.  You will get back to normal, and nothing will change in you.

·         You may be waiting in the "I hope it never ends- because when it does; I have to start paying off my credit cards line.”  Sorry Jesus pays the price, but not that price.

Let me tell you about a place where there is no line.  There is no waiting here.  Leave those lines.  There is plenty of time for that.  There is no waiting in aisle Jesus.  No waiting for hope, or love, or joy, or peace, or salvation.  Salvation has come--- here --- now-- for you.

           

Where is the line to see Jesus?  It is right here.  Right now.  Let us get our hearts in line and pray together.